Nearly doubling its population over the last twenty-five years, and with more growth still expected, Didcot has both a bright future and an interesting past. Despite dating back to the Iron Age, Didcot largely owes its existence to the railway that was laid down in 1839. Since then, Didcot has grown as a dormitory town for those who commute to London, Reading or Oxford for work. Its role as an ordnance depot during the First and Second World Wars drove further growth, helped along in the p...

This walk is one of twelve walks in John Wilks' Walks Through History - Birmingham series which contains twelve walks within the city. The whole book is available as an ebook or physical book or you could try this one out first. The book is a celebration of the beauty and poetry of the county. Each walk in this book has been chosen not only because it is a pleasant walk in its own right, but also because it goes past sites which reveal the rich and varied history of the county. Each walk i...

The London Pocket Bible offers entertaining advice for the visiting tourist or life-long Londoner, as well as:- Essential travel tips for the first time visitor; from not getting caught in the rush hour to understanding London's famous tube map- Being easy-to-use and small enough to take on the move as you travel around London- A handy reference guide; dip into as you visit sites such as the London Eye or Big Ben- A guide to fun days out with friends or the whol...

There are certain towns and cities that have an immediate effect on arrival, and certainly Bristol is one of those places. Whether you arrive into Bristol via her wonderful station, or drive past that impressive gorge traversed by Brunel’s glorious suspension bridge, you feel lifted, a distinct feeling that, here is somewhere I will enjoy staying. This is no illusion, for in many ways, lucky old Bristol, really does have it all - an impressive, vibrant dock area, sl...

A refreshing guide to discovering the hidden details of London with 10 fully guided walking routes from London's leading tour guide Look Up London.Have you ever noticed London's tiniest public sculpture? Or wondered why there are strange cone-shaped structures on the fanciest historic homes? Did you know that the Tower of London used to be a zoo, or about the now defunct London railway that transported over 200,000 people to their final resting place?These ...

Wales is the home of three National Parks and five areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; its landscape is enchanting, attracting over 13 million visitors each year. Drawing upon his eclectic postcard collection, David Gwynn offers a fascinating glimpse into the Golden Age of Welsh Postcards, perfectly capturing the beauty of this country in 180 colour photographs. The book opens with a brief history of Wales to put this specific time period into context. A carefully selected succession of i...

The railway network within Birmingham has long been important for the movement of passengers and freight to serve the centre and its suburbs, and as the road network around Birmingham has become more congested, the railways in the city have, once more, taken on an important role. As the network declined in the twentieth century, trains were regarded as shabby and also suffered from poor punctuality and stations became unkempt and many had no staff, although the majority of the network rema...

Sunderland Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Sunderland, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set. Through the author's factual captions for every picture,...

The City of Newcastle is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne. It is thought that the city has had almost 2,000 years of continuous habitation, dating as far back as Roman times. By the eighteenth century, Newcastle was the most important city in the North East, and it continues to be a thriving and populous centre to this day. This is the second collection of images from John Carlson and Joyce Carlson. With an introduction by Howard Goldsbrough, the book draws on numerous pictoria...

If you  want to see just how far Liverpool has come since hosting the Capital of Culture Year, there is probably no better place to start than down by the Mersey. The central area of the city has managed to pull off that delicate balancing act of keeping the best of the old while shoe-horning in the latest facilities.   'Liverpool One' shopping complex has attempted to create that most elusive of design tricks - creating street precincts rather than the usual central block ...

Taking his cue from this series’ title of ‘Through Time’, life-long Harrow resident and historian Don Walter here attempts something slightly different from the standard book of quick ‘then and now’ snapshots of his home-town. Calling upon his considerable treasure trove of old, occasionally rare, pictures as well as the invaluable knowledge gained in writing around a dozen local history books, he seeks – wherever possible – to show the actual development of the town from a largely agricul...

Felixstowe owes its existence to the 19th-century fashion for seaside holidays when the gentry and businessmen chose to build their summer residences in the parishes of Walton and Felixstowe. In earlier centuries Walton had been the more significant settlement, with a manor and a castle. Even the later fort guarding the Suffolk side of Harwich harbour was often considered to be part of Essex. When the Dutch landed on the Common in 1667 and were defeated by Land guard Fort's garrison, all E...